EB0 versus Hofner Violin Bass Tonality

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 4:00 am

Anyone care to comment on the tonal differences between an early 1960s EB0 and a Hofner violin bass. To me the Hofner violin bass tonality is less defined or muddier than the EB0. I would be interested in your comments.

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 5:06 am

Peter, I would tend to disagree with you on this. I have always found that the EB-0 has poor tonal qualities that are difficult to distinguish due to it having a single pickup and the location of that pick-up on the bass.
I've personally played (and still do) Hofner's for years. I've found that if both basses are strung with flat wound strings on them they will sound very similar. But if you put round wounds on them the Hofner will stand out. The bridge pick up on the Hofner provides that extra bite and tonal distinction.
But there are so many variables here that have to be taken into consideration outside of the bass itself, like the speaker cabinet being used (single 18", 4x12", 2x15", 4x10", 8x10"), playing technique, finger playing or pick playing?
That's my 2 cents worth.

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 5:30 am

I don't know if this makes sense, but I agree that the Hofner is less defined under normal conditions. IMO the Hofner bridge is the big culprit. However, it's much easier to overdrive an amp with the EB-0 and that can result in heavy distortion and less definition.

FWIW, I have never owned a Hofner but I had a '62 EB-0F (with built-in useless Fuzztone) and now have a later EB-0L.

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 5:38 am

Jon and Dave: Perhaps the question posed was too general to have any meaning. I thank you both for adding clarity.

The playing style, speaker cabinet, recording quality, strings and fundmental differences in the basses themselves, make comparisons complex.

big_g · Post by **big_g** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 9:21 am

Not all the production of EB-0's had the big humbucker right at the end of the fingerboard either, this would account for some people not having as much problem with a percieved muddiness.
Sometime around late '71 I think it was, check out this pic of a '72 with the pickup moved back.
I've played both versions and the one with the pickup moved back is much clearer.

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 3:14 pm

Well, the question was about early 1960s EB-0s. 1972 was the year they moved the pickup away from the end of the neck. I have to disagree with you about the clarity, and I've played a number of later ones. The pickup really has hardly anything going on over 1khz (there are 25,000 turns of AWG#42), you can't bring out what isn't there. Plus it has a very wide string sensing area, the coils are laid on their sides. But I love 'em anyway.

sneakers · Post by **sneakers** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 4:48 am

I have both and EB0 and a Hofner. The EB0's a 1962 and the Hofner is a 1968 with blade pickups. Played through the same amp, the Hofner is much more mid-rangy than the Gibson. The Gibson is more boomy with the single pickup. You can get them to sound almost equal with the settings on the amp and the basses. As far as playability; The Hofner wins in my opinion. The Gibson has a chunkier neck. The Gibson is easier to pick with your fingers, the Hofner is somewhat made for a pick. The Gibson is ofcourse heavier by a couple of pounds. The Gibson seems to have more dead spots on the fingerboard. The EB-2 on the other hand plays much like the Hofner but is significantly heavier. The EB-2 has ruffly the same boomy tone as the EB0.

sneakers · Post by **sneakers** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 4:50 am

"FWIW, I have never owned a Hofner but I had a '62 EB-0F (with built-in useless Fuzztone) and now have a later EB-0L."

Hey Dave,

What did you do with the EB-0F? I've been searching for one for years.

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 6:11 am

I sold it to buy different goodies, it's the same old story.

You do see them every now and then on gBase or eBay.

philco · Post by **philco** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 4:11 pm

Hmmmm.......I think the new Spectorcore basses address the tonal muddiness of the Hofners without costing you an arm and a leg, while giving acoustic sound and keeping the weight down by using a semi-hollowbody design. The piezo bridge pickups allow you to dial in some acoustic tone to the mix. Also has a modern neck with better upper fret access. They play easy like my ReBop. I'll probably end up with one of those some day, now that age is sneaking up on me. Thought about a Hofner or Hohner violin bass, but the Spectorcore dashed that notion in an instant. It's a better combination of hollowbody and solidbody design elements. Things change.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Dec 27, 2003 10:18 am

Ever try an EB-3 Peter? it's an EB-0 with a bridge pickup added, Jack Bruce played one on most of the Cream stuff. I personally like the Gibsons better, they seem more solid to me, I like all the old gibsons, Eb-0 through 3, my personal favorite is an Eb-2, and hope to get an EB-1 someday. I still would like a hofner again though. But to play everyday I would pick a Gibson over a hofner, they are too delicate to me. Hofners always seem to get lost in the mix too, but then again as jon pointed out, I have never heard one with round wounds on it. But to me most basses sound better with flats, so for me that would be a moot point.
I had a Hofner years ago, going from a P bass to a Hofner, and the change was just too dramatic for me, the little intonation pieces of the bridge were all over the floor in 15 minutes.
If you like good bottom I think the Gibsons a much clearer than a Hofner.

philco · Post by **philco** » Sat Dec 27, 2003 4:20 pm

Yeah, Bob, picking a Gibson over a Hofner is a no-brainer if you intend to gig it frequently. But isn't that like comparing a Ford F-350 heavy duty pickup to a Chevy station wagon? If you give both of them a heavy work load, one will break a lot sooner. A Hofner should be compared to a RIC 4005, Spectorcore, or other such bass. It would still come in last place if performance is the issue. Seriously, besides being in a Beatles cover band and needing it for authenticity, what would be a logically valid reason for wanting one? As far as I can see, this is one bass where you can recommend the Asian copy without reservation, because it at least saves some money. Where is the Hofner better than an Asian copy? Paul McCartney's came untuned from the factory, and it was probably typical of most Hofners. Back in it's heyday, it would have been a better bass for hiding your stash in, or like Paul McCartney in the early 60's, you couldn't afford a Fender at the time you bought it. Hofner + cash for stash, or (insert quality American brand here) and no cash left for stash must have been powerful motivators back in those days for European musicians. I noticed most of them dumped those Hofners for American basses as soon as they got enough scratch to satisfy the itch.